Amazing ways Coca-Cola uses creative AI in art and advertising

Some say that in the very near future, we will need to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) or be made redundant by it – or by others using it. If this is true then artists, designers and other creative people are most threatened.

So it’s exciting to see big companies like Coca-Cola choosing to start their own creative AI journeys with projects aimed at including and supporting creators.

The company recently appointed global head of creative AI, Pratik Thakar – becoming one of the first major multinationals to do so. That’s a sure sign of the importance of this technology.

Additionally, it was applauded for an impressive AI-generated advertising campaign that truly shows how AI, combined with human talent, can deliver the wow factor.

Carrying out its other initiatives is about empowering independent creators and small studios with innovative AI opportunities.

The message seems to be that artists have nothing to fear from AI and should instead leverage its power to enhance their own skills.

This sounds great – but can it actually hold water?

Here’s an overview of some of the ways the world’s most famous beverage company is using (or planning to use) synthetic AI. These are use cases that, while technically brilliant, raise interesting questions about how AI will change the relationship between technology, artists and the corporations that put money on the table judge.

Head of Creative AI

This year, Coca-Cola appointed Pratik Thakar as global head of creative AI. Speaking to The Drum, he said he believes AI will bridge the gap between human creativity and brand recognition.

He said, “Coca-Cola is always bridging the gap… how do we make it more accessible… more palatable and give something useful to people?”

Thakar believes that democratizing AI means democratizing Coca-Cola – or at least its brand identity. The plan is to achieve this by creating tools that allow people to experiment with new ways of communicating that identity.

Ethics are an important aspect of AI, and you’d hope they would be a concern of the people in charge of it in large operations like Coca-Cola. So it’s reassuring that he’s committed to ensuring his company carefully selects technology partners based on knowing that their models are trained “the right way.”

Creative video advertising

One of the first fruits of Coca-Cola’s move into the field of creative AI is the advertising masterpiece. This critically acclaimed video brings to life some of the world’s most famous works of art, seamlessly integrating AI-enhanced animation with live action.

It was created in collaboration with OpenAI, using their DALL-E2 and ChatGPT synthetic image model.

It’s the result of a partnership previously formed in 2023 when Coca-Cola announced it was working with Bain and Company to find innovative use cases of AI in marketing and advertising. fox.

However, the drinks maker’s involvement with AI has been a long time coming, with predictive and prescriptive AI already being used for localized and personalized marketing initiatives.

Masterpiece works on many levels. It’s a visually impressive piece of content that communicates brand identity. It’s also a signal that Coca-Cola is looking for people who can use AI to do great things. Ultimately, it serves as an announcement that creative AI has arrived in the advertising industry and it is about to change everything.

Empowering creativity?

In line with Thakar’s stated belief in helping creatives harness the power of AI, Coca-Cola organized its first Real Magic Innovation Academy this year.

This event helped build connections with the independent art and design community. By fostering these relationships, they hope to tap into the talent and inspiration needed to pursue the Masterpiece.

This is an extension of the brand’s Create Real Magic campaign, which invites artists to use its digital platform to create images using Coke’s platforms and assets, with winning images going displayed on billboards in New York and London.

Continuing the theme of empowering creators, there’s also Coke Studio. This is a free music creation platform, now enhanced with synthetic AI capabilities.

Held at various festivals across the United States, visitors can create songs, music videos, and even album covers by answering questions posed by the ChatGPT-powered bot.

Once they complete the process, which includes filming in a green room studio and inserting their video, their work can be downloaded and shared.

It’s clear that the brand wants to align itself with AI and the upcoming generation of artists and creators they believe will use it. Of course, it’s probably no coincidence that many of them, because of what they do, are likely to be identified by marketers as influencers.

Is this really good for human creativity?

As synthetic AI becomes ubiquitous in advertising, we cannot ignore the implications for wider society, and especially for creatives working in this rapidly changing field.

The appointment of an innovative head of AI is a big statement from any company that they understand the power that technology has in transforming their business. But when a company like Coca-Cola does it, it means they know it will change the entire industry. If you are a working artist or other creative person who depends on businesses and enterprises to hire and commission you, is it in your best interest to make a transition? Are not?

We’ve seen that AI creates opportunities to create and express ideas in new and amazing ways. It also democratizes the creative process, meaning independent artists and small studios can create work that can compete with that of major companies.

But there are very real concerns that industries that have always paid creators for everything from company logos to packaging design to cinematic advertising will divert that money to AI art. Therefore, some creators may consider this a tool for them to dig their own grave!

Another concern is that the growing closeness between industrial and tech giants like Coca-Cola and OpenAI, fueled by the AI ​​boom, demonstrates that not everyone has the same access. each other into these world-changing tools. We often see AI vendors providing out-of-the-box access to business users. By ensuring access to the newest and most powerful models and algorithms, can we move towards a future where corporations have even greater influence than they do now on the world of technology? art and design?

However, I personally don’t believe any of these are predetermined outcomes. The steps we take in the coming years to ensure the responsible and ethical deployment of AI into society, managing its impact on human lives, will determine the world in which we we will aim.

I think it will be a long time before human creativity can be fully emulated. Advertisement The masterpiece would not have been possible without human intervention. And I don’t think it’s possible to create something that can become as iconic as the Coca-Cola logo itself. Or Santa Claus wearing a red coat.

Of course, that doesn’t mean businesses won’t try to use it to save money where possible, especially for repetitive tasks – such as mass personalization. But moving forward, as a commercial artist or designer, being able to enhance your skills with AI will likely open up new and exciting opportunities.

Read more about these topics in my new book, The Future Internet: How Metaverse, Web 3.0 and Blockchain Will Transform Business and Society And and ‘Business Trends in Practice,’ which won the 2022 Business Book of the Year award. And don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on TwitterLinkedIn and YouTube to know more about future business and technology trends.

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